1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting or transition mechanism for an airplane passenger bridge (jetway). The cabin of the passenger bridge can be connected with an aircraft and may be placed against the aircraft by means of a circumferential seal which extends completely around the door of the aircraft. The cabin has a bottom which can be tilted about an essentially horizontal axis.
In order to make aircraft passengers comfortable, and in order to transport them between the airport terminal and the aircraft in such a way that they are protected from weather and other environmental influences, single or multitunneled passenger bridges are used which can be telescoptically extended and the height of which is adjustable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A single-tunnel aircraft passenger bridge of this general type is disclosed, for example, in German Pat. No. 1 253 157. The bottom region of the cabin, which is to be placed against the aircraft, is pivotably mounted about a horizontal axis which is disposed transverse to the longitudinal direction of the adjacent tunnel-like section. The top of the cabin is hinged to the support structure. This support structure enables the cabin to be pivoted about the transverse axis in such a way that the bottom of the cabin is always disposed horizontally regardless of the inclination of the tunnel-like section at any given time. Due to the fact that the cabin is disposed at right angles to the tunnel-like section, this heretofore known aircraft passenger bridge has the drawback that it can only be used when aircraft are parked on the apron at certain angles to the terminal. Furthermore, due to the limited freedom of movement of these heretofore known connecting mechanisms, the formation of a gap between the threshold of the door of the airplane and the bottom of the cabin cannot always be avoided. As a result, a complete sealing-off can also not always be assured.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connecting mechanism of the aforementioned general type which satisfies requirements at level and downwardly slanted positioning of the cabin, and affords a safe passage for the passengers over the entire width of the cabin.